A shortcut to greatness

[Charbuque]

Hi - I’m Chris from Melbourne and I have been playing the whistle for one day (this sounds like the start of an AA meeting). I realise that one ought to learn to play a basic tune first, and then perhaps move on to the subtleties and nuances of advanced techniques. However I have discovered that by trying to play something faster than my brain can coordinate my hands the inevitable flurry of fingers results in instant ornamentation. Fantastic - now I won’t have to spend any time at all learning cuts and rolls

[Nanohedron]

@Charbuque

Hi - I’m Chris from Melbourne and I have been playing the whistle for one day (this sounds like the start of an AA meeting). I realise that one ought to learn to play a basic tune first, and then perhaps move on to the subtleties and nuances of advanced techniques. However I have discovered that by trying to play something faster than my brain can coordinate my hands the inevitable flurry of fingers results in instant ornamentation. Fantastic - now I won’t have to spend any time at all learning cuts and rolls

Giving the nod to the humorous intent of your post, just let me be a drudge and say that therein lie the makings for a personal tragedy. I know one fellow who thinks that ornamentation is no more than simply a matter of “waggling the fingers around” (seriously; a very good whistle player once described it to him thus - why, I don’t know - and for some reason he took it to heart), and the result of his method is just…bad. Messy and bloopy-sounding. No one has the heart to tell him the truth, either. But that’s because he probably wouldn’t listen anyway, knowing him and his ego as we do.

Anyway, back to the humor. I once said that I look to my modem’s noises for ornamentation ideas. No one thought that was funny, for some reason. sigh

Oh, and welcome.

[anniemcu]

@Charbuque

Hi - I’m Chris from Melbourne and I have been playing the whistle for one day (this sounds like the start of an AA meeting). I realise that one ought to learn to play a basic tune first, and then perhaps move on to the subtleties and nuances of advanced techniques. However I have discovered that by trying to play something faster than my brain can coordinate my hands the inevitable flurry of fingers results in instant ornamentation. Fantastic - now I won’t have to spend any time at all learning cuts and rolls

Well… if you don’t run fast, you may become all too familiar with cuts, as in injury, and rolls, as in bandages.

[Adrian]

@Charbuque

Hi - I’m Chris from Melbourne and I have been playing the whistle for one day (this sounds like the start of an AA meeting). I realise that one ought to learn to play a basic tune first, and then perhaps move on to the subtleties and nuances of advanced techniques. However I have discovered that by trying to play something faster than my brain can coordinate my hands the inevitable flurry of fingers results in instant ornamentation. Fantastic - now I won’t have to spend any time at all learning cuts and rolls

Welcome!

As you are talking about cuts and rolls I assume you know what they are and that you will have to practice them a lot. Great that you are having a lot of fun with your whistle. What kind of whistle did you buy?

[Charbuque]

A Feadog ( Brass in D ). I have also made a Low whistle out of PVC pipe , but to be honest I run out of puff before I get to the higher registers ( I couldn’t get pipe of small enough diameter but had to give it a go anyway). I’ll see if I can make number 2 a little easier on the lungs.

As for constant practice - Pam, my other half was afraid of that. Still, she has put up with 10 years of guitar, flugel and drums so she has been well inoculated against racket. I hope the whistle isn’t too much for her.

[Adrian]

@Charbuque

A Feadog ( Brass in D ). I have also made a Low whistle out of PVC pipe , but to be honest I run out of puff before I get to the higher registers ( I couldn’t get pipe of small enough diameter but had to give it a go anyway). I’ll see if I can make number 2 a little easier on the lungs.

As for constant practice - Pam, my other half was afraid of that. Still, she has put up with 10 years of guitar, flugel and drums so she has been well inoculated against racket. I hope the whistle isn’t too much for her.

You could buy your other half a whistle as well (or ear plugs)?

[chas]

@Nanohedron

I know one fellow who thinks that ornamentation is no more than simply a matter of “waggling the fingers around” (seriously; a very good whistle player once described it to him thus - why, I don’t know - and for some reason he took it to heart), and the result of his method is just…bad.

I believe that’s a direct quote of Jack Coen on Brad Hurley’s website too. Of course, Jack has been playing for decades and a particular type of waggling is second nature to him, but it does illustrate how little he thinks of ornamenting as opposed to just playing the flute.

[jim_stone]

@Charbuque

A Feadog ( Brass in D ). I have also made a Low whistle out of PVC pipe , but to be honest I run out of puff before I get to the higher registers ( I couldn’t get pipe of small enough diameter but had to give it a go anyway). I’ll see if I can make number 2 a little easier on the lungs.

As for constant practice - Pam, my other half was afraid of that. Still, she has put up with 10 years of guitar, flugel and drums so she has been well inoculated against racket. I hope the whistle isn’t too much for her.

Please do a search (upper rt part of the board) on ‘whistle mute.’

[PhilO]

Welcome aboard; ah, yes, the shortcut to greatness; runs parallel to the road to ruin. Enjoy.

Philo

[Nanohedron]

@chas

@Nanohedron

I know one fellow who thinks that ornamentation is no more than simply a matter of “waggling the fingers around” (seriously; a very good whistle player once described it to him thus - why, I don’t know - and for some reason he took it to heart), and the result of his method is just…bad.

I believe that’s a direct quote of Jack Coen on Brad Hurley’s website too. Of course, Jack has been playing for decades and a particular type of waggling is second nature to him, but it does illustrate how little he thinks of ornamenting as opposed to just playing the flute.

If it is a direct quote, it’s a direct quote of a direct quote. And you can quote me directly on that. The whistleplayer I cited is not a well-known man, an elderly fellow living in Galway somewhere. Maybe he got it from Coen, or Coen got it from him, or it’s just one of those things that just floats around and occasionally surfaces in the collective mind of us whistlers/fluters.

[Denny]

i like the collective mind thing…it is so much easier than explaining to someone that will not understand.

[Nanohedron]

@Denny

i like the collective mind thing…it is so much easier than explaining to someone that will not understand.

We all have a bit of the mystic in us. Or we are a sort of Borg collective.

[Denny]

@Nanohedron

@Denny

i like the collective mind thing…it is so much easier than explaining to someone that will not understand.

We all have a bit of the mystic in us. Or we are a sort of Borg collective.

probably just one of those perspective things, eh?

[Nanohedron]

@Denny

@Nanohedron

@Denny

i like the collective mind thing…it is so much easier than explaining to someone that will not understand.

We all have a bit of the mystic in us. Or we are a sort of Borg collective.

probably just one of those perspective things, eh?

In my case, every time.

[Charbuque]

@jim stone

Please do a search (upper rt part of the board) on ‘whistle mute.’

I thank you. My wife thanks you. My cat thanks you.

[falkbeer]

@Charbuque

However I have discovered that by trying to play something faster than my brain can coordinate my hands the inevitable flurry of fingers results in instant ornamentation. Fantastic - now I won’t have to spend any time at all learning cuts and rolls

No doubt about it - the Holy Grail of whistle playing!

I remember all the dull piano lessons, just playing scales, in my childhood. All for nothing when I could have used your method…

Anyhow, good luck with your playing. The most important thing is to have fun.

[PhilO]

@Denny

i like the collective mind thing…it is so much easier than explaining to someone that will not understand.

The BORG are, er, is, here…

Philo